News Release

Speed and Performance Enhancements Pave the Way to Future Clinical Use

Company Also Announces Three-Fold Increase in MiSeq Throughput

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2012--
Illumina (Nasdaq:ILMN) today introduced the HiSeq® 2500, a
next-generation sequencing system that will enable researchers and
clinicians to sequence an entire genome in approximately 24 hours,
“Genome in a Day”. The HiSeq 2500 leverages the continued technology
advancements from both the HiSeq 2000 and MiSeq™ platforms.

“The ability to sequence an entire genome in a day with the same high
quality data as the HiSeq 2000 will enable new opportunities for
researchers to develop medically relevant whole-genome applications,”
said Jay Flatley, President and Chief Executive Officer at Illumina.
“With the HiSeq 2500, Illumina is taking another significant step
forward in enabling our vision of revolutionizing human healthcare.”

Upgradable from HiSeq 2000 – through a simple, field-based
upgrade priced at $50,000.

The Company also announced the following performance enhancements to the
MiSeq personal sequencer:

Threefold Increase in Throughput – capable of generating up to
7 Gb per run, expanding the number of applications and increasing
sample throughput.

Longer and More Reads – a new 500-cycle reagent kit supports 2
x 250 bp runs, generating over 15 million clusters per run and
enabling more accurate small-genome assembly and small RNA sequencing
projects.

“The HiSeq 2500 and the improvements to our MiSeq platform continue to
demonstrate the headroom our SBS sequencing chemistry brings to the
evolution of next-generation sequencing,” said Flatley. “These
improvements will enable expansion into new markets, moving next-gen
sequencing applications closer to the clinic, and broadening access to
labs of all types around the world.”

The Company expects to begin full commercial shipment of the HiSeq 2500
in the second half of 2012. Upgrades will be available to all HiSeq 2000
customers. MiSeq performance improvements will be available to all new
and existing customers starting mid-2012.

About Illumina

Illumina (www.illumina.com)
is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of life science tools
and integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and
function. We provide innovative sequencing and array-based solutions for
genotyping, copy number variation analysis, methylation studies, gene
expression profiling, and low-multiplex analysis of DNA, RNA, and
protein. We also provide tools and services that are fueling advances in
consumer genomics and diagnostics. Our technology and products
accelerate genetic analysis research and its application, paving the way
for molecular medicine and ultimately transforming healthcare.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are
not limited to, statements we make regarding the expected shipping and
availability dates for the MiSeq performance improvements and the HiSeq
2500. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in any forward-looking statements include
challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, and launching new
products and services and the other factors that are detailed in our
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most
recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in
public conference calls, the date and time of which are released
beforehand. We do not intend to update any forward-looking statements
after the date of this release.